Dunfermline Athletic 1 - 0 Alloa Athletic
(CIS Cup R2)

Andy Kirk scores another goal from outside the box

Jim MacIntyre signalled his intentions to take the Co-operative Insurance Cup, as we must call it now, more seriously than its Challenge Cup cousin by selecting what looked like a first choice eleven, with Harper for Williamson the only change from Saturday’s picks. So it was Gallacher in goal, a back four of Woods, Shields, Wilson and McCann, a midfield quartet of Harper, Glass, Phinn and Burke, and the now established front duo of Kirk and Bayne. For Alloa former Pars Scullion and Campbell featured in a line up that suffered enforced late changes due to traffic problems on the Kincardine Bridge.

The match was slow to get going with nothing of note occurring until the 7th minute - Calum Woods played a back pass to Gallacher’s weaker left foot, but the Pars keeper launched it up the park without any problem. Kirk challenged for the ball, and as the ball ran loose he picked it up 25 yards out without opposition, turned, and spanked in a shot which seemed to go straight through Jellema in the Alloa goal. 1-0 Pars.

In 10 minutes the visitors won the first corner of the game as Wilson tackled Stevenson cleanly, with the Alloa forward picking up an injury leading to his substitution soon after; the corner came to nothing with Gallacher being fouled as he punched clear.

The Pars seem content to sit on their one goal lead, with their more dangerous moments arising from misplaced passes from their opponents - midway through the half Bayne picked up on such an error and elected to pass to Harper rather than take it on himself, but the ex-Hibee fired past.

In 27 minutes the Pars again prospered down the right - neat play by Woods took out two opponents and left Harper with all the time in the world to cross - he picked out Kirk, but under pressure the goal-scorer headed past at the front post.

Glass had been having a quite game and just after half an hour swept the ball wide left - a bit of a hospital pass but McCann managed to hurdle the challenge and found space to deliver a cross, which the defence headed skywards - Bayne was first to the ball as it plummeted earthwards but could get no accuracy on his header.

Scullion was booked for a mistimed challenge on Bayne in 34 minutes and soon after Glass played a diagonal ball to Kirk but the Northern Irishman was pushed wide and his cross-cum-shot drifted harmlessly past.

Alloa couldn’t be underestimated and after Shields gave away a free-kick on 37 minutes Gallacher made his first save of the game as the delivery from 30 yards was missed by all in front of him.

The Pars made the first of 3 enforced changes when Glass was replaced by Bell with 6 minutes to half-time, Phinn taking over as the holding player in midfield, but despite this change finished the half strongly, good work from Harper and Burke setting up Phinn for a shot, who then fired a free-kick over the bar after Burke’s run from a Kirk flick had been halted by Buist at the cost of another yellow card. As the game moved into the first of 3 minutes injury time Harper again found room on the right to pick out Kirk whose header struck the crossbar before being cleared.

Half-time: Pars 1-0 Wasps

The second half was only 4 minutes old when Shields had to be replaced by Muirhead, with McCann taking over at centre back and shortly after Wilson put more pressure on the heart of the defence by picking up his customary yellow for a trip.

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